This description relates to adding metadata to a stock content item.
Current stock photography merchants provide Web sites through which a graphic designer performs online searches for stock photographs that satisfy one or more search criteria. Typically, in response to a keyword search, the stock photography Web site displays a page of thumbnail versions of stock photographs (“thumbnail images”). The graphic designer views the thumbnail images, makes a selection, and downloads a “comp” image for use in a preliminary page layout. The preliminary page layout that is shown to a customer is referred to as a comprehensive rendering or a “comp” of the graphic designer's idea for a project.
Once the graphic designer receives page layout approval from the customer, the graphic designer returns to each stock photography Web site from which a comp image was downloaded, and performs another search to identify reproduction versions of the image (“reproduction images”). In some instances, the graphic designer uses the filename of the comp image to search the stock photography Web site for the corresponding reproduction images. In other instances, the graphic designer performs the original keyword search, sifts through pages of thumbnail images to locate the appropriate thumbnail image, and uses that thumbnail image to retrieve the corresponding reproduction images.
The stock photography merchant typically offers multiple reproduction images for purchase or license, e.g., a royalty-free license, a rights-managed license, or a flat-rate license. Reproduction images come in different resolutions, image sizes, and file sizes. For example, a low reproduction image has, e.g., a resolution of 72 dpi, an image size of 6″×10″, and a file size of 1 MB, a medium reproduction image has, e.g., a resolution of 300 dpi, an image size of 5″×7″, and a file size of 10 MB, and a high reproduction image has, e.g., a resolution of 300 dpi, an image size of 9″×12″, and a file size of 28 MB.
Once the graphic designer purchases or obtains a license for a reproduction image, the graphic designer can download the reproduction image from the stock photography Web site and use the reproduction image in a variety of ways, including replacing the comp image with the reproduction image.